Well FRF family....on Sunday I made the towing cardinal sin.....I hooked up my 5er, got about 200 yards and made a right turn, and either the hitch malfunctioned or human error (I'm leaning more towards my mistake but still having the hitch checked) but off came my 5er slamming my bed rails and tailgate. Here are the pics of the truck after.....

Eh, it happens, but thank you, I just hope someone here can learn from my mistake. Fortunately there was minimal cosmetic if any at all damage to the rig. I was pleasantly surprised it held up the way it did. If I can find a way, the incident was caught on surveillance cam at the park I was at and they gave me a copy of the video. So if I can, I will post it on here.

Eh, it happens, but thank you, I just hope someone here can learn from my mistake. Fortunately there was minimal cosmetic if any at all damage to the rig. I was pleasantly surprised it held up the way it did. If I can find a way, the incident was caught on surveillance cam at the park I was at and they gave me a copy of the video. So if I can, I will post it on here.

Horse left the barn and all; but here is an inexpensive device that might help in the future.

"Jaws" type hitches have to be verified closed every time to make sure they engage. Forgetting just once can cause the heart ache you experienced.

My hitch has a positive blocking latch and it is impossible for it to let the pin go when closed due to its construction PROVIDED the latch swings completely around. When I do my walk around I have found if the hitch plate is not in the right spot the latch can bind and not close completely. The Butch "pin catcher" should catch a sleepy hook up mistake on my part or a hitch failure.

Eh, it happens, but thank you, I just hope someone here can learn from my mistake. Fortunately there was minimal cosmetic if any at all damage to the rig. I was pleasantly surprised it held up the way it did. If I can find a way, the incident was caught on surveillance cam at the park I was at and they gave me a copy of the video. So if I can, I will post it on here.

Ouch ! Darn it man that's sucks.....
Man that would bring me down.

The hitch catcher is a good idea but for me after years of hitching up tractor n
trailers the first thing I look at is wether the pin is engaged in the plate and its latched.
The pull test is also mandatory.

The hitch catcher is a good idea but for me after years of hitching up tractor n
trailers the first thing I look at is wether the pin is engaged in the plate and its latched.
The pull test is also mandatory.

Turbs

I hope all turns out ok for u.

Yeah that's what leaned me towards hitch malfunction was I pulled it about 200 yards and on the second turn is where it popped, and I could swear I checked it, I put the lock in place (didnt lock it but slid it through) then after the incident lock was still there but was pulled out half way. Think I just messed up and when I made the right turn and I think the bar opened with the pin rub

Well FRF family....on Sunday I made the towing cardinal sin.....I hooked up my 5er, got about 200 yards and made a right turn, and either the hitch malfunctioned or human error (I'm leaning more towards my mistake but still having the hitch checked) but off came my 5er slamming my bed rails and tailgate. Here are the pics of the truck after.....

Oweee! Dang, you got it good too. Maybe you took the gremlin from the rest of us for a while anyway. Yikes!

Ouch ! Darn it man that's sucks.....
Man that would bring me down.
The hitch catcher is a good idea but for me after years of hitching up tractor n trailers the first thing I look at is wether the pin is engaged in the plate and its latched.
The pull test is also mandatory.
Turbs
I hope all turns out ok for u.

Still a hitch catcher is good insurance regardless of how many times you've done it. It only takes one time of something malfunctioning to spoil your record. As my mom use to repeat, "Penny wise, pound foolish"

Still a hitch catcher is good insurance regardless of how many times you've done it. It only takes one time of something malfunctioning to spoil your record. As my mom use to repeat, "Penny wise, pound foolish"

Very wise lady, and it only takes one second of distraction for something to get missed or not completed properly.